UNITED WAY: 2,127 people in local area have saved $260,000 on medicine

Kevin J. Wilhelm

Published 12:00 am, Saturday, May 18, 2013

Believe it or not, a text message can save you money on your prescriptions.

More than 1,000 United Ways across the country, including Middlesex United Way, partner with FamilyWize Community Service Partnership to provide free prescription discount cards to help people get the medicine they need. Just last week, we hit milestone; since 2005, this partnership has helped more than 5 million people across the country save more than $500 million on prescriptions, getting them medicine they otherwise would not have been able to afford.

Here in Middlesex County, 2,127 people have saved more than $260,000 since the program began.

Studies show the partnership addresses a critical need. According to Consumer Reports, Americans who are financially strapped tend to skip medicine or lower their dosages. A New England Journal of Medicine article reported that the cost of medicine not taken exceeds $100 billion each year on avoidable hospitalizations and $177 billion on additional health care costs. And a Harvard University/CVS Caremark study shows that taking medicine as prescribed can save as much as $7,800 per patient annually, money that otherwise would be spent on emergency rooms, hospitalizations, tests and other procedures.

The average savings is about $20 per prescription, and savings are often as high as 75% off the price charged without the card.

By using FamilyWize, consumers can get medication prices close to those offered to large insurance companies and employers. Anyone can use the card, regardless of age, income, or employment level. The FamilyWize card does not reduce the cost of medications for which you have a copay, but it may reduce the cost of medications not covered by your insurance. It can also help you save money during deductible periods and for prescriptions that are not covered by your health insurance, Medicare or other benefit plans.

All you need to do is present the card and your prescription at a participating pharmacy and you will receive the FamilyWize discounted price. Pharmacies accepting FamilyWize include CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kmart, Rite Aid, Target, and Stop & Shop.

You can download a free FamilyWize card with a click of a mouse at www.middlesexunitedway.org./familywize, or you can receive a card via text message by sending the word "family" to 700700. We also have them in our office if you want to stop by 100 Riverview Center, Suite 230 in Middletown. All family members living in the same household can use one card.

To compare discounted prices of prescriptions at nearby pharmacies or for more about the program, visit FamilyWize.org